New Delhi: After getting elected unanimously as the leader of the BJP Parliamentary Party, Prime Minister designate Narendra Modi on Tuesday said the overwhelming majority won by the Bharatiya Janata Party in the general elections reflects the hope people have in them while simultaneously outlining his governance mantra.

Modi claimed the era of responsibility has now begun and said that his government is committed to work for the poor and the underprivileged sections of the country.

While remembering former prime minister and one of the biggest leaders in BJP’s history Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Modi thanked party president Rajnath Singh and senior leader Lal Krishna Advani for their blessings.

“I am very thankful to Advani ji and Rajnath ji for their blessings. I was thinking if Atal ji was present here then it would have been an icing on the top,” Modi said during his speech in the Central Hall of Parliament.

“On September 13, I was chosen the party’s prime ministerial candidate and I started my campaign work from the 15th,” he added.

Modi further said that he ensured during the campaigning for Lok Sabha polls that not even a single minute is wasted.

“My hard work ended on 10th May. After that, I told the party president that I want to come to Delhi and give the report card of the election campaign. As a hard-working party worker, I ensured that not even one minute of my time is wasted,” he said.

“I completed all my scheduled programs, except for one in Ghosi because it was cancelled due to the death of our local leader,” he added.

Invoking his poor background, Modi said the power of a true democracy can be weighed by the fact that the son of a poor man is standing in front of all as the country’s next Prime Minister.

Giving his own explanation of a government, Modi said a government is that organisation which thinks about the welfare of the poor, listens to the poor people, lives for the underprivileged and is completely devoted for upliftment of the poor.

“The son of a poor man is standing in front of you all today. This is the power of democracy.” Modi said.

“The new government is dedicated to the poor, youngsters and to the sisters and mothers of the country,” he added.

At one moment, Modi even broke down in tears.

Modi said he has seen poor people wearing just one piece of cloth on their body and carrying a BJP flag during his campaign, and added that the onus was now on the party to fulfil their dreams.

“I have seen in this campaign men who had one piece of cloth on their body but a BJP flag in their hands. We have to fulfill this dream,” Modi said.

Politely objecting to Advani’s usage of term ‘kripa’, Modi said just like India even the BJP is his mother.

Modi said the BJP got a clear mandate and the Parliament did not get trapped in the conundrum of a hung house because most of the people saw hope in the saffron party, adding that the people did not merely vote against the UPA but in the favour of the saffron party.

“If there was a fractured mandate then you could have said it is anti-establishment vote but full majority for BJP means people voted for hope. This verdict was centred on hope. It was election of hope,” Modi said.

Modi said it is not that all the previous governments have done nothing but it was the NDA’s duty to continue the good work done by preceding governments and take the nation on the path of development.

“I congratulate all previous governments and their leaders. We will take their good work ahead and aspire to do even better. The country has already moved ahead, now it is up to us whether we want to move or not,” Modi said.

“I want to assure my countrymen, we have to give up despair. We want the development of everyone and for that to happen, the support of everyone is equally important,” he added.

The Prime Minister designate said that it was important for his government to take everyone along the path of growth and prosperity.

“We want everyone to progress but we also want to take everyone along. We want to move forward with the slogan ‘sabka saath, sabka vikas’,” he said.

Modi vowed to live for the country from now onwards and said the manner in which the public had given him and his party a clear mandate, it has made India proud in front of the entire world.

“When we meet again in 2019, I will present my report card. I won't live for myself but will live for the country,” Modi said.

“People of India by giving such a mandate have made India proud in the eyes of the world. It is time to forget who won and who lost. It is a mandate to work for India's place in the world,” he added.

Thanking senior party leaders, Modi said their contribution in the escalation of the saffron party should not be undermined, adding that they have received so much success only because of the hard work of the five generation of party workers starting from their Jan Sangh days.

“Modi is visible to you because senior leaders placed me here. Let us not forget the contribution of generations of workers of the party,” Modi said.

“What we have achieved is due to the hard work of our five generations of workers, right from Jan Sangh days,” he added.